Dahlia plant named ‘Dahlstar Apricot’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Dahlstar Apricot’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely branching, full and dense plants; medium-sized semi-double type inflorescences; golden orange-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored disc florets; and good garden performance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahliaplant, botanically known as Dahlia variabilis, commercially referred toas a pot-type Dahlia, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name‘Dahlstar Apricot’.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Mariahout-Laarbeek, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new pot-type Dahlia cultivars withdesirable inflorescence form, attractive colors, and good gardenperformance.

The new Dahlia originated from a cross made by the Inventor of twounidentified proprietary Dahlia variabilis selections, not patented. Thenew Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in acontrolled environment in Mariahout-Laarbeek, The Netherlands. Plants ofthe new Dahlia differ from plants of the parent selections primarily inray floret coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by vegetative tip cuttings wasfirst conducted in Marhahout-Laarbeek, The Netherlands in 1996. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newDahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Dahlstar Apricot’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dahlstar Apricot’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Dahlstar Apricot’ as a newand distinct pot-type Dahlia:

1. Upright and compact plant habit.

2. Freely branching, full and dense plants.

3. Medium-sized semi-double type inflorescences.

4. Golden orange-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored discflorets.

5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahliacultivar ‘Mipaapri’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conductedin Venhuizen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Dahlia were morecompact, more freely branching, had larger inflorescences, and floweredfor a longer period of time than plants of the cultivar ‘Mipaapri’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Dahlia showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newDahlia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘Dahlstar Apricot’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the spring inVenhuizen, The Netherlands, in a glass-covered greenhouse and withconditions which approximate those generally used in commercialproduction. One rooted cutting was planted in a 10.5-cm container andpinched about one week after planting. During the production time, thefollowing environmental conditions were maintained: day temperatures,about 18 to 21° C.; night temperatures, about 15 to 18° C.; and lightlevels about 30,000 to 40,000 lux. Measurements and numerical valuesrepresent averages of typical flowering plants about 6 to 8 weeks afterplanting.

Botanical classification: Dahlia variabilis cultivar ‘Dahlstar Apricot’.

Commercial classification: Pot-type Dahlia.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary Dahlia variabilisselection, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary Dahlia variabilisselection, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—About 10 to 12 days at 22° C.

Time to develop a rooted cutting.—About 21 to 24 days at 22° C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched; development of tubershas not been observed.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous pot-type Dahlia. Inverted triangle; stems mostlyupright and somewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly moundedappearance to the plant; relatively compact. Freely branching, lateralbranches develop at every node after removal of terminal apex(pinching); dense and full plants. Appropriate for 9 to 12-cmcontainers.

Plant height.—About 15 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—About 15 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 15. Length: About 10 cm.Diameter: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Mostly smooth; slightlypubescent at nodes. Color: Close to 146A with anthocyanin, 183A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Leaves single or compound with threeor five leaflets. Length: Single leaves: About 7.5 to 10 cm. Compoundleaflets: About 5 cm. Width: Single leaves: About 5 to 6 cm. Compoundleaflets: About 2.5 to 3 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Obtuse. Margin: Dentate. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Petiole length:About 1 to 2 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Color: Young foliageupper surface: 137A to 137B. Young foliage lower surface: 138C. Maturefoliage upper surface: 137A; venation, 137B. Mature foliage lowersurface: 138C, venation, 139A. Petiole: 138C.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary semi-double type inflorescences heldabove and beyond the foliage on strong flexible peduncles. Compositeinflorescences form with elongated-oblong to roughly spatulate shapedray florets and disc florets massed at the center; ray and disc floretsarranged acropetally on a capitulum. Not fragrant. Persistent.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuously and freely from Apriluntil October in Northern Europe.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for about three to five days on the plant.

Quantity of inflorescences.—During the flowering season, up to about 100to 150 inflorescences per plant may develop.

Inflorescence bud (just before opening).—Shape: Mostly spherical,slightly flattened. Length: About 5 to 10 mm. Diameter: About 5 to 10mm. Color: Close to 146A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.5 to 5 cm. Depth (height): About 2cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.2 cm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to roughly spatulate. Aspect:Straight, concave. Length: About 1 to 2 cm. Width: About 8 to 13 mm.Apex: Obtuse or retuse. Base: Attenuate; short to medium corolla tube.Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, velvety. Number of rayflorets per inflorescence: About 28 in about three rows. Color: Whenopening, upper surface: 21B. When opening, lower surface: 21C. Fullyopened, upper surface: 21A to 21B. Fully opened, lower surface: 21B.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length:About 8 to 10 mm. Width: Apex, about 1.5 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number ofdisc florets per inflorescence: About 34. Color: Immature: 154A. Mature:Apex: 9A to 12A. Base: 155D.

Involucral bracts.—Quantity: About 5 to 7, imbricate. Length: About 1.5to 2 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Roughly deltoid. Apex: Acute. Margin:Entire. Texture: Smooth, leathery. Color: Close to 146A, both surfaces.

Peduncles.—Length, terminal inflorescence: About 5 to 7 cm. Diameter:About 3 to 4 mm. Strength: Strong, very flexible. Color: Close to 146Awith some anthocyanin, 183A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 9A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 9A. Gynoecium: Presenton both ray and disc florets.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia have been observed to betolerant to Powdery Mildew.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia have been observed to bewind and rain-tolerant; and have been observed to be tolerant totemperatures ranging from 6 to 32° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named‘Dahlstar